Third-rail guard for electric roads.



No. 764,148. PATENTED JULY 5., 1904. JOHN S. PAYNE & JAMES S. PAYNE. THIRD RAIL GUARD FOR ELECTRIC ROADS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 3, 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1- N0 MODEL.

I PATENTED JULY 5, 1904. JOHN s. PAYNE & JAMES s. PAYNE. THIRD RAIL GUARD FOR ELECTRIC ROADS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 23, 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

N0 MODEL.

Patented July 5, 1904.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN S. PAYNE, OF MIDLANDPARK, AND JAMES S. PAYNE, OF WVORTEN- DYKE, NEW JERSEY.

THIRD-RAIL GUARD FOR ELECTRIC ROADS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 764,148, dated July 5, 1904.

Application filed July 23, 1903. Serial No. 166,653. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN S. PAYNE,of Midlandpark, and J AMES S. PAYNE, of Wortendyke, in the county of Bergen and State of New J erscy, citizens of the United States, have in-v vented an Improvement in Third-Rail Guards for Electric Roads, of which the following is a specification.

In electrically-operated roads. especially those of the elevated type, the third-rail system of electric-power supply is usually employed, and as these third rails are exposed great care has to be exercised by any person upon the track, so as to avoid accidental contact therewith; besides, in cold weather difiiculties arise in the operation of the trains from ice and snow collecting on said third rails, all of which it is the object of our invention to overcome.

In carrying out our invention we provide series of hinged or pivotal cover-plates normally adapted to extend longitudinally of and transversely over the said third rail and to be closely adjacent thereto. We provide devices connected to one or both trucks of a car and adjacent to the shoe or shoes contacting with the third rail for lifting the said cover-plates successively in advance of each shoe to provide a way therefor, the plates descending as the shoes pass by, and we provide means for returning the cover-plates to their normal position, all of which are hereinafter more particularly set forth.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan representing part of an elevated-railway structure. Fig. 2 is a side elevation and partial section of the same. Fig. 3 is a cross-section at a a; of Fig. 1. Fig. 4. is a cross-section at y 2 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a cross-section ate 2 of Fig. 2. Figs. 2, 4:, and 5 are of larger size than Figs. 1 and 3 for clearness. Fig. 6 is a partial plan representing a modified form of our invention. Fig. 7 is a plan of parts shown in Fig. 6, but in larger size, with a cover-plate raised and with parts hereinafter described omitted. Figs. 8 and 9 are cross-sections of the parts shown in Fig. 6, with the cover-plate of Fig. 8 protecting the third rail and in Fig.

9 raised therefrom for the passage of the shoe.

In Fig. 1 so much of an elevated structure is illustratively shown as comprises the crossbearers a, the longitudinal bearers a, and the parts a comprising the usual side path of the track. 6 b are the usual rails upon which the trains travel. 0 represents the third rail provided for the electric current supplying the motive power. (Z represents the partsthat is, the frame, wheels, and axlescomprising the truck of a car connected centrally and at one side of which is the shoe 0, adapted to bear upon the third rail with the travel of the train.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, f represents a lifter-plate of bent form and preferably of plate metal, secured by brackets f to the side of the truck and extending over the shoe 0. g represents cover-plates in series, the longitudinal portions of which are located above the third rail 0. These coverplates are preferably bent. transversely, as will be seen by reference to Figs. 3, 1, 5. The edge nearest to the third-rail guard c is bent upwardly and the edge distant from said guard downwardly. These cover-plates are connected at convenient points to arms g, which arms extend downward and beneath the third rail between the cross-bearers w of the elevated structure. Hingejoints 2 for pivotally connecting the said cover-plates to the'third-rail blocks 0 are preferably composed of U-shaped rods, secured to the coverplate g, and plates secured to the third-rail blocks 0 and having eyes receiving said bars. Fig. 5, as well as parts of Fig. 1, illustrates one of these cover-plates in its normal position over the third rail, with the upturned edge thereof coming into close proximity with the upper edge of the third-rail guard 0. In this figure it will be noticed that the lower ends of the arm g are almost directly beneath the third rail. Fig. 4., as well as Fig.

1, illustrates the action of the bent lifterplate f, with the forward movement of the train raising the cover-plate onits hingejoint and swinging the same outward, providing a path for the shoe 0. In this position it will be noticed from Figs. 3 and 4 that the lower end of the arm g comes into contact with the under surface of a longitudinal bearer a. This forms a stop, so as to prevent the cover-plate swinging outward too far and so far that the center of gravity of the pivotal structure would be outside of the vertical plane of the pivot 52, in which case the coverplate would fall out rather than falling down over the third rail. This form of device is therefore made to insure the return of the cover-plates in succession over the third. rail.

In the form of invention shown in Figs. 6 to 9, inclusive, the lifter-plate f of the other figures is replaced by rollers v1 on brackets 71, secured to the truck at opposite side of the center. In these figures the form of coverplate is varied to the extent that the inner edges of the cover-plates 7b are bent downward as well as the outer edges and that arms 72?, pivoted. at 4, have connected to the pivots shafts is, with weights k, the action of which weights is to maintain the cover-plates nor mally in the position Fig. 8. These coverplates h are advantageously provided with bent surface-plates it, which plates 72. are provided with straight portions and ends bent at inclinations thereto. (See especially Fig. 6.)

In the operation of the structure Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, and with the movement of the truck along the track the cover-plates are successively raised by the bent lifter-platefcoming against the rounded corner of the coverplates, these cover-plates falling by gravity as the lifter-plate passes from one to the neXt. In the structure Figs. 6 to 9, inclusive. the forward roller 1 acts upon the inclined end of a bent plate It, raising the same so as to provide a path for the shoe and the second of the rollers 7T permits the cover-plate /a to descend by gravity as the roller passes off the bent end of the plate, the rollers being so placed with reference to the length of the cover-plates and the ends of the bent plates h as to raise said cover-plates for the shoe and hold the same up until the shoe passes beneath the next cover-plate in advance. In either of the forms of the invention illustrated these movements are successively repeated with the advance of the train, one cover-plate being raised and then lowered as the next cover-plate is raised.

From the foregoing description and the illustration it will be apparent that the sheet-metal cover-plates g and it extend over substantially the entire upper surface of the third rail, practically completely inclosing the same and to such an extent inclosing the same as will in winter preclude the formation of ice upon the third rail or snow lodging thereon to interfere with the transmission of the electric current from the third rail to the shoe of the car and also that the said third rail is so completely covered that there is no liability of any one on the track coming into contact with the third rail and so running risk of receiving a charge of the electric current therefrom.

o claim as our invention 1. The combination with the third rail of an electric-traction system and a support therefor, of rail-blocks secured to the third rail, a rail-guard parallel with the third rail, secured to the rail-blocks and having its upper edge coming above the third rail, a series of coverplates pivotal] y connected adjacent to the base of the third rail and having their edges nor mally resting against the rail-guard to completely cover over the third rail.

2. The combination with the third rail of an electric-traction system and a support therefor, of rail-blocl s secured to the third rail, a rail-guard parallel with the third rail, secured to the rail-blocks and having its upper edge coming above the third rail, a series of coverplates pivotally connected adjacent to the base of the third rail and having their edges normally resting against the rail-guard to completely cover over the third rail and devices forming downward prolongations of the coverplates and adapted to prevent the same being overbalanced.

3. The combination with the third rail of an electric-traction system, of a series of sheetmetal plates arranged longitudinally over the third rail with their ends adjacent to one another and with parts at said edges and ends at an angle to the line of said cover-plates, means for pivotally connecting said coverplates at or adjacent to the supports of the third rail, means for preventing said plates when raised being overbalanced and for returning them to their initial position, devices upon the truck of a car adapted to successively engage the bent portions at the edges and ends of said cover-plates so as to raise and maintain the same in an elevated position to provide a path for the shoe contacting with the third rail, and devices similar to the raising devices for permitting the cover-plates to descend by gravity.

4. The combination with the third rail of an electric-traction system, of a series of sheetmetal plates arranged longitudinally over the third rail with their ends adjacent to one another, means for pivotally connecting the said cover-plates at or adjacent to the supports of the third rail, means for returning said coverplates to their initial position, a plate secured to the upper surface of each cover-plate running longitudinally therewith and with the respective ends bent at an inclination, brackets secured to the truck of a car and rollers carried by said brackets adapted to successively engage the bent portions at the ends of the aforesaid plates so as to raise the coverplates and maintain the same in an elevated position and provide a path for the shoe contacting with the third rail.

5. The combination with longitudinal bearers a, the third rail. of an electric-traction system and a support therefor, of rail-blocks the third rail and adapted to come against the secured to the third rail, a rail-guard parallel said bearers a as stops to prevent the cover- With the third rail secured to the rail-blocks plates being over-balanced. and 1having its upper edge coming above l3lll16 Signed by us this 8th day of July, 1903. 5 thirt rail, a series of cover-p ates pivota y connected adjacent to the base of the third rail and having their edges normally resting against the railguard to completely cover WVitnesses: over the third rail and arms 9 extending A. C. SERRELL,

1O downward from the cover-plates and beneath S. T. HAVILAND. 

